Opinion
Editorial

Delay in asbestos ban costs lives every year

Asbestos has no place in a society as modern as Canada's, and yet the federal government has made little visible progress in its elimination. The country's last asbestos mine was shuttered several years ago, and yet -- incredibly -- automotive parts and construction materials containing the deadly fibres continue to be imported.

In May, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government was "moving forward" on a comprehensive asbestos ban, but so far the only evidence of federal interest in this issue has been an announcement that Public Services and Procurement Canada would ban use of the material in that department's construction projects.

According to some sources, more than 2,000 Canadians are diagnosed every year with asbestos cancer and asbestos-­related illnesses. Other sources estimate about 150,000 Canadian workers continue to be exposed to asbestos in their workplaces.

Sadly, 2,000 Canadians die of asbestos-­related diseases annually, a statistic that reflects a reality completely at odds with public health expectations. This deadly material has been banned in Europe, Australia and Japan, and the World Health Organization has recommended asbestos be replaced with safer substitutes. Yet it continues to be used in Canada.

Earlier this week the Canadian Labour Congress held a news conference in Windsor and urged Trudeau and his government to make good on their promise.

John Arnold, a training services representative at the Workers' Health and Safety Centre in Sarnia, said his community has witnessed first-hand the "devastation" left behind by the use of asbestos in local industry and manufacturing.

"I know a lot of my friends and cohorts who have either mesothelioma, or asbestosis, lung cancers, stomach cancers, you name it," he said.

Sarnia long has been been a hotspot for mesothelioma. Grassroots groups such as the Victims of Chemical Valley, largely made up of widows of industrial workers who died of asbestos-related diseases, have been advocating for a ban for many years.

The federal government needs to listen. There needs to be a ban that would halt the importation of construction products and automotive parts that contain the toxic fibre, a ban so complete that asbestos would be immediately and completely removed from the proximity of every Canadian.

Given asbestos' deadly legacy, Ottawa's single largest contribution to the overall health and future well-being of Canadians could come from a complete ban on asbestos.